Undergraduate Advising Staff

The undergraduate advising staff in the Department of Sociology is located on the first floor of Townshend Hall. It’s where every year, more than 800 sociology and criminology majors go to share their dreams, talk about their concerns and map out their futures. They meet their advisors before they ever step foot into a classroom; they circle back with them again and again as they navigate their way toward graduation.

“Advising is so much more than directing students to the right class,” said Susan Van Pelt, academic advisor. “It’s about helping them to understand all of the opportunities available to them and challenging them to do more than they think they can.”

Van Pelt has been in the advising arena for more than 20 years; the last five in the sociology department. She chose the field because of her own experience as an undergraduate at Bowling Green.

“When I was a student, I was keenly aware of how important extracurricular experiences were in helping me develop personally and professionally,” she said. “I wanted to become a part of making the college experience for other students equally fulfilling.”

David Martinez, academic advisor, found his way into advising by mere happenstance. As a graduate student in anthropology at Ohio State, Martinez took on the role of unofficial advisor and mentor to several undergraduates while working on his MA research and during his time as a course instructor. It was an eye-opening experience.

“I had that ‘aha’ moment,” he said. “For the last nine years, I have loved every minute helping students flourish and discover what it is that they love and want to do.”

On any given day, Van Pelt and Martinez are helping students connect to study-abroad and service-learning opportunities that challenge and broaden their horizons; apply for research positions and internships that enhance their knowledge; and navigate more than 1,000 student organizations and groups at Ohio State to help them prosper on and off-campus. They write countless letters of recommendation and support students seeking scholarships, grants, graduate school admission and careers.

Sociology Professor Andrew Martin is the director of undergraduate studies. He knows how critical advising is to student success. “I think we do a great job training our students for the future,” he said. “At the heart of everything we do is a deep dedication to helping our students realize their full potential and find their path.”

Martin, Martinez and Van Pelt have attended so many commencement events in the department that they’ve lost count. What hasn’t been lost on them, however, are the times students bring their parents over to meet them during the celebrations. Those moments are the ones that stick with them for a long time.

“When the parents and the students say, ‘Thank you for making such a difference,’ it’s the biggest thrill,” said Van Pelt. “It’s that moment when you know you’re doing it right.”